Putting Respect On FINAL FANTASY XIII In 2022...

It's time to put RESPECT on Final Fantasy 13 in the year of our Lord and Savior, 2022. It has become apparent to me that Final Fantasy fans and myself don't see eye-to-eye often. Whether it be my adoration for Final Fantasy 9 or my lukewarm reception of Final Fantasy X, there have been issues across the board with my takes. However, today we put that all behind us to talk about Final Fantasy XIII, the most hated Final Fantasy. My goal is to not make you love it, but walk away understanding how someone like myself can grow to like it.
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#PlayStation #FinalFantasy #FinalFantasy13

[@retrorebound8887]

It's quite ironic that Square Enix would choose to copyright claim out own recorded gameplay **SIX** separate times, but here we are. The algorithm doesn't push videos that aren't monetized, so we had to adjust. Sadly what that means is our strong start to the initial upload is permanently erased. Any sharing, liking, or commenting would be MUCH appreciated to rebuild that initial momentum

[@willallclasses8585]

I did a double take on the repost, thought maybe you didn’t like something about the first vid but to get claimed? Wtf?

[@MonkeyspankO]

yeah, it went down while I was watching it.

[@tazmanceltic]

I was all in when this came out , but dam just running forward and forward and forewarrrdddd 😭 killed my happiness although the battle system had it's moments.

[@Shatterglass23]

Nope. ITS 🗑Not Final Fantasy 15 trash but CLOSE ENOUGH 🚮

[@hyperfusiongear9050]

That game I got screwed out of my money 💰 that was the last time I'll ever get screwed over with that game.

[@dacienvegas2712]

This trilogy is quite special to me. It served as a "escape" from a dark reality I was living at the time. Yes, I can recognize its shortcomings, but man, I just loved it.

[@alexandrameier5038]

I feel you. I wasn‘t going through anything when I first played it, but the characters and the story resonated so much with me that I repeatedly came back to it when I was feeling down. I just love playing it again and again, it‘s like an old favorite movie that I can watch over and over again!

[@grimmmetals5290]

Same. I had always been a big Final Fantasy fan but adult life kind of got real after Final Fantasy 8. The next Final Fantasy game I eventually picked up was FF13, I had a lot of time on my hands. I played it, I read through all of the data logs as a they appeared, I really immersed myself into the game world. I did the same for the second, and the third. It was the darkest time in my life and these three games will always have a special place in my heart. I think most people have a negative response to these games because they don't feel like they have the time to just sit back, read the lore as it appears, stop and look around at the game world, and enjoy everything.

[@hurkadurk6732]

That completely resonates with how I personally feel about this trilogy. Far from perfect, but special to me because of how they helped during dark times.

[@SadGirlXandra]

God, idk why I want to cry but me too! I discovered this game at a very dark time in my life and it really helped me. But I still to this day love it! I cried and laughed with this game and the story is still one of my favorites of all time!

[@Deviljho5]

Same here man! I was deploying left and right when this was released! Barely had time to mentally relax! I enjoyed the soundtrack!

[@santosduran9183]

Such a godly soundtrack. I also recently played this during the pandemic. I didn’t care for it much when it released but during lock down I was able to appreciate this game. I remember one of the main criticisms being that it wasn’t open world. In an era with nothing but open world games. It’s linearity through the beginning hours was much appreciated by me and a breath of fresh air.

[@thomasharvey1151]

The opening of the game and the story of the battles through the Hanging Edge, always kind of gets me. Was a great opening to the game. All these people, normal people, families, defending themselves and fighting for their right to exist. Was exciting and sad at the same time.

[@ecksluss]

I've been biding my time for when the oversaturation of open world that are extremely shallow and cookie cutter drive people to seek out more linear experiences and this game is a GREAT linear experience. Love the entire trilogy.

[@santosduran9183]

@@ecksluss yeah absolutely. This game is amazing. Although it did open up a bit towards the end it was nothing on the scale of open world games, which I appreciate. I haven’t played Lightning returns. I heard mixed things about that. Maybe it’s time to play it though considering that people were mostly wrong about 13 as well.

[@aeroga2383]

I played this game in 2018 when I was absolutely sick of open world games. That probably explains why I liked it so much

[@danhalo1405]

The criticism of this game was absolutely never that FF13 is not open world. Final Fantasy fans complained that FF13 was way way to linear compared to previous Final Fantasy which absolutely is not the same as people complained that FF13 is not open world. You obviously have to view criticism in the right context Final Fantasy fans obviously mainly compared this game with previous Final Fantasy games and other similar JRPGs and those games never had open worlds older Final Fantays games never were less linear because they had open worlds. Older Final Fantasy games were less linear because they had overworld maps to explore, they were less linear because they had towns to explore and people to talk to and they were less linear because those older JRPGs had a lot of optional content, sidequests and fun optional minigames and the absents of all of those things were the reasons why FF13 was criticised for its insane linearity.

[@Gilbeezyskit]

Agree 100% on the linearity. Playing this a couple years back just having a path to follow was refreshing. I looooove me some open worlds but taking a break and just following the path as it moves through the story was so.. pleasant.

[@tracysweatt5401]

The linear path up to Gran Pulse was really great to get into the story and helping you to get into the story vs being all over the place with an open world from the get go.

[@plustico2846]

I agree. I liked that, but I just wish there was some more diversity in gameplay on that path, not just battling and I wish there was less battling.

[@moodie316]

I agree...especially as I get older and have a job/family, I appreciate more linear games that progress nicely through the story and the fun. Its great for gamers who can only play for an hour or two everyday.

[@lukedelameter7961]

Plus, there’s an argument to be made for having a tighter, more curated delivery of content. Instead of wandering everywhere hoping you’re headed the right direction and depleting your resources hopelessly, you have a clearly defined and structured goal.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@plustico2846 The problem with 13 is that the game was directed by the same guy who did FF 10-2 which also had mixed reception. Why was he chosen, because Square's most talented directors Tetsuya Nomura and Hiroyuki Ito was busy with other projects mostly handheld.

[@shakaj1525]

This game has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in gaming....graphics were amazing for its time, the gameplay wasn't bad it was different from what i had played at the time..very unique game. It really wasn't that bad tbh. It's not one of the greatest but it's good. The story was complex tho not easily graspable but it's still there to follow maybe not the best...art style is dope

[@thomasharvey1151]

The soundtrack is a great and memorable one, very unique. Always especially enjoyed The music for Gapra Whitewood, Archylte Steppe and the track called Will to Fight. I actually kind of miss this game. I’d be down for a Remaster/Re release on PS4 or 5.

[@julianzuloaga]

True! I think the game had many good things, the soundtrack among them, but I remember when it came out and the fanbase was very dissapointed with the story-characters-boss aspects. I think it's a good game but a not so good Final Fantasy, that was the problem.

[@Walamonga1313]

XIII has the best FF combat. And it's not even one of my top 3 fav FFs. But I do know XIII has fantastic gameplay (and soundtrack).

[@Slodsworth]

On 360 it was awful. I found the story, soundtrack, characters and graphics all subpar. I think there were 3 tracks I listened to on the ost which were great. Honestly this game was the beginning of the full on downfall of ff for me. 15 doesn't even feel like ff anymore. Good game on its own but a terrible ff

[@JMO04091]

FF9 definitely, DEFINITETY the BEST FF in the franchise.

[@Keithnicity]

I absolutely LOVED the combat system for FF13. It was a blast and I really enjoyed how tense boss battles got, had me shifting paradigms like a wild man! Best graphics of the time by far. It had it’s problems but I liked it.

[@aster5503]

13 was my first ff game and i adore it. Discovering new lore bits and finally understanding ones given at the beginning of the game was so entertaining to me, the gameplay was easy enough for me to pick up but tough to master which kept me on my toes during harder fights but it was FUN. The game was fun. The soundtrack was stellar, some songs will still get stuck in my head to this day. You could get emotionally invested in the characters (most of the time) and it was a breath of fresh air compared to whatever else I was playing at 13 years old. I wish I could experience it again for the first time because it really was something

[@felixramirez4402]

and one of the worst one to start out with i feel bad for ya

[@ak47dragunov]

Ive always gotten the impression that people who criticize the gameplay for being "autopilot" probably never got past the first few hours let alone beat the game

[@SaberToothPortilla]

Probably. I mean, the game never gets *too* hard or anything, but when you haven't gotten to have a full party yet, paradigm management, which is the *real* way you interact with the combat, isn't nearly as important. The game won't punish you for not paying attention. That said, to be fair, it's rough for well past the first few hours, probably the first 5 or 6 at least, but I don't know anyone who finished the game who thinks it's *that* bad. Certainly no worse than like a 5/10.

[@Player-jh4ko]

Lamo for this game to even be considered "good" it takes 20 hours. And even then the game falls flat. I also literally just beat this game and 90% of the time I've used auto attacks.

[@Yuri-xx2gi]

If a game needs 10+hrs to get "good", then it's a bad game

[@Limit5482]

Nothing is more autopilot then final travesty 12 This game I really like so far and I’m 10 hours in

[@FinalFantasyXDen-br4to]

I definitely think Final Fantasy Transformers was a brilliant game! Perfect story, perfect world, perfect characters, and a perfect battle system. It's literally a masterpiece and anyone who doesn't think so just isn't smart like me to understand the superiority of the game.

[@lucasguimaraes3029]

13 was the very first FF game I ever beat(12 was waaaaay too complicated for my 11 year old brain) but playing 13 when I was 14 years old was incredible. I love FF13 and I’ll always defend it. 13-2 was even better. I do hope to play lightning returns one day.

[@statesminds]

Xiii-2 and lightning returns even better! Also hope you revisit XII the zodiac age. It's such an underrated FF as well imo

[@LiohJuney]

I believe 13 and Lightning Returns are still on Game Pass if you have it.

[@apathy2454]

All 3 soundtracks are AMAZING

[@FinalFantasyXDen-br4to]

Kids are idiots and think shitty games are actually good. Sorry, but Final Fantasy Transformers is one of the worst games.

[@Maximusbyronus]

Playing FFXIII in 2023 is a breath of fresh air. I didn't realize how much I missed turn-based battles, linearity and lots and lots of brilliantly directed cutscenes in a big budget RPG. I hope Square remasters this game for the PS5.

[@FinalFantasyXDen-br4to]

This $6 game is trash and SE should pay me to play it.

[@FelixS.]

The game isn’t turn based. Menu based combat and turn based are no synonyms for each other. The only turn based FFs are 1-3 and 10.

[@devilstrider289]

I think it's great that lighting is emotional because me being an actual soldier I've seen emotions run high. I've seen people dislike or even hate another person but come together for a cause just to fall out again. I've seen people not believe in the mission and then be all about it. It makes her human and I can relate to her mood swings. A lot happens in combat.

[@johnnyshins511]

The human side of the characters is what makes me not understand a lot of peoples criticisms with them. Like Lightning is a closed off soldier who had to grow up quick to make a living when her parents died. Then Hope, the most misunderstood character in the entire thing. He's just a child who grew up in a regular peaceful city. He's 14 years old and has been turned into what he was told was basically the devil, while having witnessed his mother die in front of him, of course he's emotional.

[@The_Death_Owl]

Since square took down the last video I'll just repost my comment here. FF 13 is far from my favorite Final Fantasy in terms of Story and Characters, but thematically I believe it is among the strongest entries. I appreciate the existential nihilism in this entry that runs contrary to the bulk of the series. Having the cast be comprised of unwilling agents of uncaring gods pushing forward to a goal that is unknown to them at the start is very novel when compared to the purposeful death march of FFX or the dutiful quest to save the planet and face the past in FF7

[@Scantronacon]

Is so good. Like the story, world, music just damn. Vanille best girl!!

[@The_Death_Owl]

@@Scantronacon Normally I hate kid characters in JRPGs but Vanille wasn't annoying for a second

[@bloodwindpvp4364]

its shit you havent played any great rpg or you got a very wierd taste. watch a movie to save you time lol

[@goticogordo]

i can tell you are 15 years old lmao for THIS game to be your favorite FF game? holy shit

[@The_Death_Owl]

@@goticogordo I never said this is my favorite FF, I just said that it was thematically unique. You seem awfully quick to insult people when you can't even read the first sentence of a paragraph correctly.

[@daggerthedragon1582]

What a great video, I'm so excited to see what you have to say about FFXIII-2. That game is insane, and even handles time travel really well! I also love the experimental soundtrack, you can really tell the musicians had a lot of fun writing the music for that game.

[@moner5634]

Honestly, XIII will always be my favorite FF game. That may be mainly due to nostalgia, watching my dad play it, before picking it up myself. But there's something about the world, characters, music, even simple animations like walking and paradigm shifting, that make me feel right at home.

[@LordVex47]

How old were you when it came out? If between 7-15, might be nostalgia factor

[@moner5634]

@@LordVex47 Oh don't worry, it is absolutely 100% nostalgia lmao. Although nostalgia aside, I still think it's a better game than a lot of people make it out to be.

[@FinalFantasyXDen-br4to]

When Final Fantasy Transformers is the only Final Fantasy game you played, then of course it will be your favorite. Code Vein and Scarlet Nexus are also top tier games

[@TotallyCluelessGamer]

Anybody willing to give this game a fair shake even knowing the backlash FF fans will give them is worth a like and a sub from me. Its a fairly solid game that to many people was irredeemably ruined by a few elements that just weren't in vogue at the time. As you mentioned in the video 2009 was pretty much right after the "Open World Everything" era came into full effect so the game being linear was considered "objectively bad". Its also worth noting Dark Souls hadn't come out so it wasn't cool to drop a lot of terms and expect the player to either read up on them or just puzzle them out on their own.

[@melancholyman369]

The ideas were so good they ripped out the combat system and put it in FF7 remake and almost no-one noticed🤣

[@diego1345]

It had nothing to do with gaming industry trends. I didn't care about open world games and still found XIII's hallway galore to be one of the worst gaming experiences of my life. I'd spent a lot of my teenage money to buy the collectors edition too, so I was trying so hard to enjoy that crap and trying to fool myself into it, but couldn't finish it at the time. The game is just that bad.

[@melancholyman369]

@@diego1345 it's bad alright, they got too creative and scraped a lot of assets. That's why things were so linear, they had to cobble together maps because they were going over budget and running out of time.

[@neoperol]

@@melancholyman369 The same team that made FFXIII made FF7 remake. But Square-Enix as a company is not he same company that launched FFXIII, for me it was the last great Final Fantasy talking in a production quality stand point that even 10 years later looks like a current game.

[@bloodwindpvp4364]

its not a game and even less rpg or final fantasy

[@robomarston8253]

Fun fact the 360 version was intentionally developed to output at a lower resolution than the ps3 version. 360: 1024×576 PS3: 1280x720 (PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong) from my understanding they didn't want a jrpg performing better on a Console that was created by a western company at the time.

[@Somefool669]

I heard it was to get the whole frame buffer into the gpu's edram

[@zevzero]

Great video. I started FF15 a few weeks ago after being turned off at release. I am about to finish the game and really enjoyed it. Updates and a new perspective really change how you view a game.

[@luciusmorgan-gt8hn]

Final Fantasy 13 is my absolute favourite Final Fantasy, and my favourite overall game. I never really understood a lot of the complaints and criticisms that people had. 4 year old me was able to understand the lore and terminologies of the game. I loved all the characters, and I personally think that the paradigm shift system is the perfect medium between turn based like FF10 and before and slasher like FF15. I also never understood the linearity complaint when FF10 (a fan favourite) is also very linear.

[@FinalFantasyXDen-br4to]

I'm sorry that you eat dog shit for breakfast and maggot pie for dinner.

[@NotIfICU1st_]

Favorite battle system in any jrpg I have played. Love this game, soundtrack, and vivid graphics. I think of it often and can't believe its been xiii years.

[@Scantronacon]

13 years is so ironic isn't it, but I've seen many videos on it lately. Somebody is getting their flowers finally😅

[@buddah1978egypt]

Man it's so satisfying when it clicks. Even the duo with sazh and vanilla was insanely OP when you got it right 😁

[@One.Zero.One101]

I love losing to a boss a couple of times and then setting up my paradigms and finally beat him. It feels so gratifying. I try to use my own strategies and not look up tutorials unless I'm really really stuck. I try to fight him about 10 times and if I really can't beat him then that's when I go to KZbin.

[@Scantronacon]

@@One.Zero.One101 bro it's like the main reason I effin love this trilogy. Getting those 5 stars after a battle makes you feel like a badass 😎

[@crbald1]

This combat system is my absolute favorite too!!

[@ColtinCalloway]

I played ff13 for my first time earlier this year after not being interested in it for its lifetime. I was glad I did. I loved the paradigm system. I also thought everything came together beautifully by the end. And I do believe, as you stated, that ff13 deserves more respect. Looking forward to playing the next two on my Steam Deck when it finally comes in and if they work on there by then. Solid video.

[@LordDuddy77]

Fun fact: Sazh is actually the best character in the game for the Blitz ability...but only if the enemy is close to him cause he shoots quite a few bullets with the move it does a lot of damage.

[@inazumarai7690]

and he has haste. ...at least, way earlier than hope gets it

[@ZorroLocoStudios]

Yo, MASSIVE respect to you Matty for giving this game the justice it deserves. Super underrated gem. And you're right, it's the sort of game you have to stick with to "get." But once you do, oh man is it good. Great video!

[@thomasharvey1151]

Definitely was a game where, when it all comes together, it comes together. I’d love to play this on PS4 Pro or 5. I’m hoping it’ll get a Remaster.

[@lourensels262]

Same here, Ff13 is the only reason I still own a ps3

[@Azriel884]

I had such high hopes for ff13, and it didnt deliver initially, and i didnt even finish it. About a year later, i restarted it with an open mind, and i really enjoyed it. The story was actually really indepth and engaging, once i got over my own expectations that i had for the game. I ended up playing through it 3 times total.

[@jeffrey7737]

So 3 times 100 hours ?

[@buddah1978egypt]

@@jeffrey7737 I did the same. Loved it

[@Azriel884]

@@jeffrey7737 what can i say? I played a lot of video games back then.

[@jeffrey7737]

@@Azriel884 so no 13-2? 13-3?

[@Azriel884]

@@jeffrey7737 13-2 yes, 13-3, no. I was ff13 burnt out lol

[@jcd_1991]

The thing is, this game is always taken on face value. Learning the lore, you get to experience how beautifully written this game is. Expositions are out of the question but this game is more like a novel.

[@KyngD469]

Exactly

[@debrucey]

If you have to learn the lore separately to be able to appreciate it, then it isn't beautifully written. The lore and overall narrative is interesting, but the actual storytelling is piss poor.

[@GameNight87]

I appreciated the corridoriness of this game after playing so many huge open world games. Music is awesome. Paradigm system is awesome. Characters are great. Story? I have no idea but the journey was fun.

[@Walamonga1313]

THIS. I get so exhausted by other JRPGs and western games that have big or open worlds. I've always been an action gamer at heart and so I love concise and well designed, but small levels to go through. If you give me huge plains and forests, sure I'll explore for some time but sooner or later I'll get bored. I much prefer to keep good pacing over the "freedom to explore" (I don't really enjoy exploring in games tbh, feels like wasting my time)

[@focotaku]

Vanille is my favorite character in FF13. Lightning is good in FF13-3. But the narration of Vanille gives me chill everytime. I think the voice acting of Vanille in Japanese is great.

[@thomasharvey1151]

The history of the FF fan base reactions to the games has basically seemed like this to me… Fans: FF7-This is awesome, epic. It’s so realistic. It’s almost like a love story. I wish I had more control over my character class and growth though. FF8-Wth is this? That’s not Cloud. It looks too realistic. It’s too futuristic this isn’t FF. Wth I have to decide how the character grows? What is this, a love story? And where the hell is Cloud?! FF9- These characters look to unrealistic. This is too old timey. Why are my characters stuck in character classes? Well I’m not using that guy. And where the hell is Cloud? FFX-This is awesome. I like how characters have roles but I wish I could decide from the start how they develop. This game is a little too linear though. I wish I could see monsters on the field and fight in real time. It would be cool if battle flowed continuously and wasn’t turn based combat. FFXII-Wth this sucks why do I have complete control over my characters roles what am I supposed to do? What class should each character be? What are gambits why can’t I just control all of my characters at once in real time. How am I supposed to be able to control all my characters and fight in real time? There’s too many characters to control at once. Can I make the game switch to turn based combat? The combat is too slow. This game is too open theres too much exploring. FFXIII- Wth this game is too linear. Why can’t I decide the roles for my characters. I wish I had more choice on how they develop. The combat is too fast. Why are all my characters fighting on their own, why can’t I control them all? When do I get to explore? Hey she looks like a female Cloud, that’s just too weird. I want an FF7 remake where nothing is changed. FFXII Remaster-Wth they gave the characters classes? I wish I could fully choose how they develop.. FF7 Remake-Cloud!! I can’t wait to see him cross dress and see how he looks as a woman. I hope they changed it and Aeris lives. There’s just no pleasing them. Unless Cloud is in it.

[@Ock_mantis]

Tbh, you're not wrong lol. I'm the fan lookin at them like...wtf wrong wit these people lol.

[@seraphstray1552]

100% this. Favorite series, but I dont talk to anyone about it aside from my best friend because most of the "fans" simply dont know what they want.

[@EmilyRose900]

Ff6 pixel perfect remaster has a problem with this statement.

[@thomasharvey1151]

@@EmilyRose900 I’ve yet to play those but they look like they’re great. Especially FF6.

[@thomasharvey1151]

@@Ock_mantis Me too sometimes lol. I’ve been an avid and hooked player of FF since 1992. I enjoy them all in their own unique way but I do understand some of the complaints with certain ones. To me though, that’s what makes FF so great. Each one is a different take and unique from the previous one. Each one tries to do something new.

[@camelot544]

I'm replaying this for the first time in 5 years and it's like playing it brand new. 18 hours into it and it's so much fucking fun. Will watch this after I complete the story. Thanks for posting.

[@IANDUDEABBLE81]

Retro rebound bring me great joy. Thanks for the positive nostalgia trips, Matty!

[@retrorebound8887]

My pleasure!

[@genyakozlov1316]

X was also just hallways for most of the game disguised as real areas, but since the characters were on a pilgrimage instead of on the run you spent more time in those linear areas, plus some looped pathways, optional rooms, puzzles, and the ability to revisit it all, and most were fooled. Here nothing could justify revisiting areas, doing sidequests, or walking into random houses, as the characters are constantly hunted, plus high concept lore being introduced way quicker causing people to check out of the story, and a wrong impression was made that X was way more open. Plus people didn't like the new battle system. Fun fact: they apparently had to remove many completed areas just so the linear part of the story was shorter, which is already more than half of the game. This is why XIII-2 and LR were necessary; so those unused assets wouldn't go to waste. Of course, those games have many new assets, but that was the reason for XIII-2. They also addressed the linearity criticism there, just like in X-2 compared to X.

[@jamesgravil9162]

Most Final Fantasies are linear, some are just better at hiding it. The Pokémon games are linear as hell (despite some backtracking towards the end), and that's never been seen as a bad thing.

[@DrGamersEmporium]

this video just solidifies matty has bad taste lol. still love his videos though :~)

[@bench2346]

​@@jamesgravil9162 I def agree w this. I think too often fans look at titles like 7, 8, and 9 and attribute an "open world-ness" quality that comes from having a traversable world map. And I would agree that, to an extent, those design elements can make it feel like you are more in control of your character's journey and promotes more exploration. But it is also true that those maps were never truly open, and you're usually relegated to small locales early on. Usually, those games required some type of vehicle upgrade to progress. Your access to the world map was directly related to where you were in the story with few exceptions. It was just presented in a different way and I'm not sure that should invalidate 13's linear quality (though I still think the constant tutorials through the first 50% of the game was a problem). Even when you reach the more open continent below in 13, the time you already put into the game correlates pretty well to when the world map becomes far more accessible in other FF titles too.

[@iXepher]

Great video. The linearity of the game I thought made sense because the whole point of the game was that they had no control of their fates. And when they showed they did, you got to Gran Pulse and you got the openness. It’s still one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, and it holds up well enough that I come back to it every now and again.

[@AR500PlateSpallInYourChin]

I found your OG channel at the beginning of the Fallout 4 hype train and I’m so glad I did. You have been one of my favorite content creators on the platform ever since then! Your consistency never ceases to impress me. Keep up the good work man, I appreciate you and your videos!

[@KyleS.1987]

You make a great argument for checking it out and giving the game a shot on its own terms. Well done! I'll definitely give it a look after I finish FFXII Zodiac Age. I mean, it's next in the series and it's on Game Pass, so what have I got to lose?

[@retrorebound8887]

Your time and sanity, perhaps.

[@urbansamurai261]

@@retrorebound8887 😂😂😂😂

[@DaltonGoesSlow]

Bout fiddy hours

[@Modnar621]

Try it out! It's a pretty fun game with a great story. And if you find yourself confused by what's going on as you progress in the game, within the menus you will find texts that explain all the terminology they use and what's going on in the story. It really helps since they don't do too much to explain exactly what's going on.

[@markthomas1589]

Final Fantasy Xiii is the most underrated title. I didn't find it ti be any more linear than final fantasy x. Both games take you straight from point A to point B in service of the story. The gameplay and graphics hold up amazingly well considering the game is almost 15 years old. It's time to accept this game has always been amazing.

[@retrorebound8887]

Oh man... people will NOT like the FFX comparison, but I'm about it hahaha

[@GRAG3R]

@@retrorebound8887 It's markedly untrue though. Not yours but Mark's. FFX had many pace breakers, like towns (Luca, Besaid, Mushroom Rock Road, Guadosalam), Blitzball, and wasn't just battles 24/7. And even when there were battles, X has some of the fastest combat in the series.

[@HyperImaginative]

I remember when it first released I was in awe of its beauty. My dad wasn't a fan and even I became critical. Till recently, I bought the game and now I'm about 20 hours in. I personally love this game, and actually really enjoy the combat.

[@seanbailey3638]

Massive shout out to you Matty for your rebound on this. Was never a massive final fantasy fan but jumped into this game back in the day and it sucked me in to the genre for the first time. Absolutely loved it as you say it’s certain a game you have to give time as the story builds. Artistically looks amazing and appreciate how long term fans would see flaws but ultimately fell in love with the sound track visuals and creative story telling. This was the first games I put over 200hours into. Your video has inspired me to try out part 2 again as I burnt out post playing this and didn’t give part 2 or lightning returns a go still have returns in original ps3 wrapping.

[@Namistai25]

XIII is not a bad game. It feels like a next step to what was done in XII. Graphically and musically XIII holds up very well. My regret is that we never got the original vision for Final Fantasy versus XIII. That game looked awesome and was somehow linked to the XIII "trilogy".

[@lappiestofdogslapdog]

It was linked to XIII the same way that Type-0 was, in that they share the same mythology.

[@DrGamersEmporium]

XII was way ahead of its time in combat, exploration, and worldbuilding. XIII is a huge step back. What are you talking about? What was improved on?

[@patricklee9832]

No disagreement here, FFXIII is one of my all-time favourite from the series, and I love Lightning. You're spot on about how people don't put in the effort to understand this rich world they've built. For me, it's a close second to FFXV.

[@jasonhammock2111]

Looking forward to this! I have played around 2 hours of 13 thanks to game pass and I loved the music, everything else didn't grab me enough to keep going (so far) maybe a little knowledge will help me dive back in!

[@joakim1462]

I really liked FF13. It's linear and I love that. Great but confusing story and the battle system was splendid! I just beat FF15 and that open world was sometimes boring and time consuming. I mean sitting in a car for 9 minutes?!?

[@felldoh9271]

I’ve always liked the battle system and respected how difficult it was (played the PS3 version if that makes a difference), specifically three or four story bosses (final boss included).

[@unkempthawk]

I quite enjoyed FFXIII, though I haven’t gotten around to XIII-2 or Lightning Returns yet. I’d like to play several FF games this year though, so hopefully I can knock those out!

[@soultaker0469]

You should definitely play XIII-2 is really really well done 👏🏼 you are missing out! LETS GO!!!

[@Modnar621]

XIII-2 is really fun and feels way more polished that XIII as far as the gameplay goes; the story was good too. Lightning Returns has really fun gameplay and the maps are exciting to explore, but the story was not the greatest.

[@kamii_999]

You definitely need to play the other 2 games they are all masterpieces.

[@feeamerie5011]

I’m literally re-playing this right now 💛 for the first time since it’s release. I’m in Chapter 13 now just grinding missions before I take on Barthandalus and Orphan ofc! I love this game and it’s soooo beautiful for its age. (Apart from the hands! Dear Goddess the ugly hands!) I’ve enjoyed it so much and am going to take on XIII-2 and Lightning Returns, neither of which I’ve ever played before. This is still my favourite combat system from all FF games (from VII onwards - I love the OG battle systems of I - VI) My tip for first timers on this game is every time you see a “!” In the menu, go and read it! That way the lore unfolds gradually and you start to memorise all the terms and the story comes together so well. (You’re so right about Vanille’s arc, though I worked out the plot twist for her around chapter 3, the reveal was still really amazing!) I’m on PS nowadays (ironically this game RROD’d my OG 360) so only one disc so I’d forgotten the whole multi disc thing! (Though I remember the four discs of Lost odyssey cause you got an achievement each time you finished a disc).

[@comeonoverandshootit]

I'm cool with linearity. I'm less cool with having literally nothing to do in an RPG for 20+ hours other than walk forward, fight, and watch cutscenes. That's the real problem with FFXIII. XIII-2, on the other hand, is fantastic. Not only is it the game that XIII should have been, but I suspect it's closer to the game that XIII *would* have been had its development cycle not been so problematic.

[@Walamonga1313]

XIII is such a fresh experience because it doesn't have the million sidequests and npcs that every other RPG does. It's just straight to the point story and battles, it keeps the pacing up (which is rare in JRPGs) and it made me beat the game without putting it down. Usually JRPGs have the same issues as open world western games, they just get tedious to me because of all the things to do which throw pacing out the window and make you explore (which is something I don't particularly enjoy in games). Funnily enough, so many people who like XIII don't like the sequel and viceversa. I rarely see someone who likes em both. Personally I can't stand XIII-2 because it has literally everything I just explained I don't like (plus the lack of characters and weird progression, that chrono menu thing)

[@grammaton6leric]

This was the first FF that I fully platinummed and over the years it’s become the series entry I think about most often. That could be because 13 years later, people are still actively debating whether or not the game is good, or it could be that this is my favorite FF game so far-I still haven’t played the sequels. The game is beautiful. It has an iconic soundtrack. These are points most people agree on. The characters being written as over-the-top archetypes is somewhat debatable, but if you just choose to accept them at face value, like certain anime characters for example, they can be charming. Yes, I do find Snow charming. Hope is actually, at this point, my favorite character in the franchise. The linear nature of the game is less debatable. When you get to Gran Pulse it does open up, but I think some people are burnt out before reaching that point. It’s unfortunate. The hate for the battle system, I don’t really get. People say it removes strategy, but I know that is patently untrue. I distinctly remember battles wherein I had to switch paradigms on the fly when a certain enemy attack animation would start to avoid death. Additionally, the gambit system in FFXII can literally be left on autopilot to grind levels and that game received overwhelmingly positive reactions. Lastly, and the complaint leveled against this game that I find most irritating: the impenetrable story. It just isn’t true. I first played the game 7 years ago with no knowledge of the story or the universe it took place in and I understood what was going on just fine. Not only did I not have trouble defining new terms with context clues from the dialog, but there’s also a damn datalog that you could just read if you were truly lost. I really don’t understand what people are on who claim the story made no sense. It’s an assertion that smacks of pure laziness. Like, everyone wants groundbreaking gameplay and new, compelling narratives, but also wish to be spoon-fed all the story beats. You can’t have it all people. I personally appreciate rich and complex world-building, so I ate this up. I like this game and I appreciate this revisit.

[@hiibejebiibii3832]

Thank you for writing down my exact thoughts more succinctly than I ever could. Especially about the story and people's blatantly unfair criticisms of it. I was in elementary school when I first played this game, and I understood the story just fine. Never even needed the datalog.

[@grammaton6leric]

@@hiibejebiibii3832 I'm a little late, but thanks for getting through my rant. Glad I'm not alone in my feelings about this game. I will always defend it.

[@rossedwardmiller]

Final fantasy 9 is the best overall in the series. That was the vlast time the series gave the classic formula a modern adaptation. Fortunately dragon quest 8 and 11 have stayed the path

[@sinthetic4878]

I'd say FFVIII is a much better game, but to each their own. 😊

[@XiongGou]

@@sinthetic4878 I would love FFVIII so much more if not for the draw system... 😖

[@jeffrey7737]

Exactly after playing 9 you look at 7 and 8 different it's like playing FF6 after 7 you will bring down your score

[@AJLewy]

Hey man could you do a video on lost odyssey at some point? It’s possibly my all time favourite JRPG but It’s not really well known so I was glad to hear you mention it in this video!

[@Modnar621]

Once I understood what was going on in the story, this game became one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. It took me three separate attempts to just finish this game though. The first two times I could not understand what was going on in the story and just became bored because of the linear gameplay, so I never finished the game. Then on the third time I discovered that in the menus there were texts that explained what all the terminology they were using means (Like fal'Cie and l'Cie). There were also texts that explained what was happening in each chapter. So I was reading through that as I played and made the game so much more enjoyable. It probably would have been better if they explained these things better. But yeah, overall Final Fantasy XIII was a good game.

[@alexmaganda5827]

you honestly learn most of the important stuff through the story the rest is just minor world building tbh

[@joeyxl3456]

Good write-up, thanks.

[@joeyisabsb1]

There are actually books you can read that are actually good to help flesh the world out more, including a prequel book. These books really solidified FF13 as one of the best FF games for me.

[@101bfs]

This was technically the first ff game I owned. I fell in love with lightning but still annoyed I kept getting killed by the final boss

[@snuggie1849]

Did you ever beat it? Also use poison ailment and equip death resistance gear

[@101bfs]

@@snuggie1849 nah still need to go back to it will need to remember this.

[@kristophergathercoal5044]

I just played and beat FF 13 for the first time a few hours ago and loved it. It's not my favorite in the series but it's up there somewhere. Vanille and Sazh's moments were particularly strong and the paradigm system was a nice change in pace. I also found the game to be more difficult than the other mainline 3D FFs, which I enjoy since many of them were a little too easy.

[@BrendenBarlow]

I want to put out there too. Vanilles voice actress spoke on the actual voice acting sessions and how she was forced to say lines like the japanese vanille. She wasn't allowed much creative freedom if any

[@danielclifton3319]

I was never much of a fan of XIII. However, something i really like about XIII, which is also the reason that i LOVE X, is the very dreamy, sad / melancholy feel of it. I really hope Final Fantasy as a series will return to this, as its core. X did strike a way better balance though, in my opinion. XIII feels bit melodramatic and one dimensional to me, sadly.

[@julianzuloaga]

I recently beated the whole FFXIII trilogy on GamePass and I think it deserves much more love than it gets. The first game, FFXIII, was not as good as it's predecesors, but the trilogy gets better with each game. FFXIII-2 really got me interested with the story, and the music is great. Lightning Returns, the last part, is actually a pretty good game in my opinion. I very much enjoyed it, it's open world with a very cool atmosphere, lot's of sidequests, and my favourite: Riding over the chocobo through the wildlands, it's simply great. The combat system is pretty good and the story is probably the best of the three games. At the end of Lightning Returns, I ended up doing over 120 sidequests, and beating the final boss on the first playthrough (which I think is not very common). Also, the ending is very satisfying, I would say it was a nice ending for the trillogy. If you are a real fan of the saga, I think it's very much worth it playing the whole trillogy. P.D: Sorry for my terrible english lol

[@SpaceCat1111]

Your English is better than most native speakers, actually... Also, I agree with what you said 100%.

[@julianzuloaga]

@@SpaceCat1111 thanks! 😄

[@Anubis_-vc7fc]

In terms of story, if people actual READ the datalogs or played the game its a very self-explanatory story. For characters I feel like people didn't play the game enough to get used to the characters. Cause in a lot of FF games you have characters that have previous relationships while in 13 none of them have ever met except lightning and snow. so for them to clash over things absolutely makes sense. And if im honest, one of my favorite character arcs occurs in this game which is Sazh/vanilles arc. both of those arcs are so well done within cutscenes such as the cutscenes before the brynhildir fight. In terms of gameplay, I absolutely love the paradigm system as instead of in older FF games where you have time to think about what you want to do, in 13 you have to think ahead before the fight and think on the fly. And the whole linearity complaint is dumb, people keep saying they wanted to explore the towns. But the reality is that wouldn't make sense with the story seeing as your wanted criminals on the run that would be reported immediately. All in all, it is my favorite final fantasy and remains that as i play some of the game i hadn't when i first played 13.

[@buddah1978egypt]

I admit I wasn't impressed with the battle system when I first played, tried a second time and learned how amazing the system was. I adore this game, 100percent 3 times. In my top 5 final fantasies of all time. Begging for a remake.

[@brichan1851]

I have always, ALWAYS loved the XIII series. All three games have something to offer. Thanks for the vid.

[@Jack-The-Gamer-]

Odd man out here, but I love FF13. People say the game has no strategy because of auto-battle, but that’s just wrong. The strategy is just different from what they were looking for. A lot of the games strategy comes BEFORE the battle, in who you use in your party, how you level them, how you equip them, and most importantly, how you arrange your paradigms totally changes the gameplay from one player to another. In battle, the “flow” of the battle is a lot more like Dark Souls than Final Fantasy. Hear me out. The battles are a lot more about knowing WHEN to do what, not what to do. You aren’t worrying about if you should be using this ability or that one, you are worrying about how staggered they are? Do you need to be applying pressure? Are buffs and debuffs falling off? Do you need to heal? Is a big attack coming? It’s about learning the fight itself.

[@Walamonga1313]

This is exactly why XIII has my fav combat system. It's about being engaged in the battle and ready to do whatever it is you need. It's about reaction time and knowing the mechanics. For ecample Vercingetorix, one of the superbosses, can absolutely annihilate you if you don't go triple sentinel. But at the same time has tons of HP so you've to constantly attack. So you need to deal max dps while also being ready to use triple sentinel to not get wiped. And debuffs/buffs are super useful in the game too so you're best including them as well. The game is by far the most involved, engaging and satisfying in the series but people who autobattle and don't fight everything will never understand how good it feels to master the combat

[@snowhawkthorne630]

FF XIII intrigued me so much. I went to a friends house who was playing it and they basically said this sucks, you can’t shoot anyone, this is for weirdos. I kept thinking what happens next? Who are these characters? The world was so interesting but I was worried about being labeled a weirdo at school so I never touched it.

[@RadaSmada]

This was my first Final Fantasy game, and it will always be one of my favorites. I actually always thought it was funny how everyone used to complain about the game being linear, and now everyone complains about games being open world haha. I really prefered the straightforwardness of the gameplay, and I feel like it really kept me focused on the story. The soundtrack has also got to be one of the best in the FF series. Also, it’s absolutely mind-blowing that this game is from 2009. It literally looks like a PS4 game

[@alittlenitemusic6571]

13's combat is one of the most difficult to understand and master in the entire series. Understanding roles on halting enemy movement, dealing main DPS, boosting damage percentages, slowing the stagger gauge while mixing healing, debuffs having massive impact on encounters, buffs and healing at correct intervals and tanking to keep tempo on harder encounters is nuts. The amount of depth in this "Auto-Battle Simulator" is absolutely insane and it baffles me that anyone in their right minds who have actually completed this game don't have respect for this games battle system.

[@nickando1734]

ff13 had some difficult ass boss fights that i died to multiple times. it wasn't until i began learning how beautifully the paradigm shifts can be timed and blended and fine tuning the roles of the rest of the party that i became successful. it's far from an auto battle and i hate that people think of it that way! there's definitely a lot of depth to it and it's fantastic once you get good at it

[@alexmaganda5827]

ff13 is easy af lol

[@nickando1734]

@@alexmaganda5827 i'm glad you feel that way now that i know it i can say the same

[@alexmaganda5827]

@@nickando1734 i mean i like ff13 but calling it hard or difficult is just not true wich is a good thing since it makes it easy to get into😅

[@migss9581]

hate not being able to move your party as they all stand on you and get wiped. seems a daft choice.

[@Talal_111]

People who says you can auto-pilot this game, never made it past the first act

[@seigma5340]

I did like this game, in fact I got the platinum for that on my PS3, but I cannot deny the fact that I didn't particularly understand the story, it was very confusing to me. I'll replay it and try to get more glances out of it, but for the moment that's where it stands.

[@gunham0323]

If you can play the game on pc you definitely should! There are mods available that can take the game to insane levels. A mod also exists that will fix the crashing issue people tend to run into with the steam version. It is a gorgeous game that genuinely is on par with games like Ghost of Tsushima. It is insane.

[@remakeyourself]

I really enjoyed 13 when it released. I think most of the complaints are valid, but regardless, they delivered a fantastic game with a couple flaws that...if you're really engaged in the story, I think are easy to overlook. it also includes an amazing battle system that I think rookies to it will dislike, but once you really know how to play it, it's one of the best battle systems in the series because of its focus on speed and efficiency. The presentation is astounding and still looks wonderful so many years later. 13-2 really botches a lot of the foundation from the first with a nonsensical story that goes WAY too hard into Anime Craziness, but the soundtrack, battle system, time travel, and Pokemon/Monster Catching system are excellent! Lightning Returns is one of my favorite JRPGs ever. Incredible battle system, a more refined story that cuts the fat (but loses some purpose), and they traded the Time-Travel to an easily digestible-but-similar focus on cause and effect between the different areas. All in all, I think the FF13 hate comes from two places: 1. People who haven't played it, or only put a few hours into the original (that's fair, but it still doesn't grant a holistic impression of the game) 2. In a slew of "Everything is open-world" games, FF13 demands you to slow down and let the game set the tone for a 3-game storyarc, and gamers didn't take to that. Doesn't make it a bad game though. Great video!

[@holyavenger91]

Favorite final fantasy ever. That opening piano track still gives me chills.

[@felixramirez4402]

L take

[@7orotv3]

As someone running this game for the first time 15 years later. I see the issues people have. But it’s been a really great experience overall for me. Glad Matty pmo. 🤘🏽

[@Gwen1661]

FF13 was the game I needed back when I was a teenager apparently since the character's journeys really resonated with me back then and still kinda do.

[@Hipnopotamussus]

I actually like F13 series. Lunar Silver Star Story Complete for PS1 is another great jrpg to check out.

[@thomasharvey1151]

Lunar 1 and 2 Complete are legendary. They are sadly long forgotten it seems. Will always hold a special place in my gaming heart though.

[@joeyisabsb1]

I still own Lunar 1 and 2 for the ps1 🤣 also, ff13 is amazing once you fully understand the story and have some knowledge of what the prequel book was about imo. They really did try to make this become the second biggest ff story ever told (first being ff14 since that one spans over 10 yrs).

[@Hipnopotamussus]

@@joeyisabsb1 hell yeah you got the badass boxset for them. Boys help me get Matty on that Lunar train. The tale of dragon master Matty awaits.

[@HousedeHouse]

This game took a few tries for me to get into but I really liked it once did

[@pretzelboi64]

Honestly, I personally liked the linear aspect because I wanted to get to the next cutscenes. It was more like an interactive movie than a game but that's also what made it so good

[@itsagabe]

Funny enough, FFXIII saw a small resurgence when it came out on Steam, where it gained new fans who didn't have the context surrounding its original release. I enjoyed it myself for a few reasons, though I think XIII-2 dealt with its ideas better. Lightning Returns is my favorite in the trilogy but to be completely honest, it could've been a standalone title unrelated to FFXIII and it would've been better for it.

[@lourensels262]

This game was my first experience in the series and it was the first time I learned to appreciate a great story. It enspired me to write and it was like a sanctuary for me in some harsh times Ff13 is in my opinion one of the best games I have ever played and I have played more then 800 games

[@kamii_999]

Finally someone with taste

[@callumgray3810]

This is too true! It was my first game in the series and I absolutely love it, just recen played it again for the first time since I was 10, been waiting 13 years to play again and got to beat this and 13-2 currently on lighting returns, seriously some of the best games I have ever played

[@yoyoyo88665]

I've always loved Final Fantasy XIII. At this point, I've played every single mainline FF (well, minus XI) and XIII is still cemented in my Top 3.

[@Kiobao]

It not being open world was never a talking point for me. open worlds often overwhelmed me even though I enjoy them, they aren't a perk. What always set ff13 back for me was I just plain didn't care for the story, characters or setting. The motivations felt half baked or too linear and the topics beaten a lot. Also I'm not sure what it was but for me , a trend that started with ff13, the NPCs felt more hollow than ever. I feel like before the NPCs added extra depth and a better idea of stuff but since 13 the NPCs, when present, just felt hollow or tacked on, I never cared for why I was in these areas or these npcs. I'm not sure what it was or why I felt that way. On top of that, the combat just wasn't interesting and none of the classes or customization options really felt like something I wanted, I just did them because i thought it worked or it was what I needed. I didn't have as much fun trying out stuff like I did in other final fantasy games. Maybe that was just a personal issue though. For these reasons, it's why ff13 isn't in my top 10 FF games. Not that it's all around bad, just less interesting. The music did well but I can't think of a single final fantasy game where I didn't like the music

[@neobahumuth6]

what you said about Lighting really encapsulates the wierdness I feel about the criticque some ppl have about her being an emotionless doll, really felt like we played different games considering the many emotional outbursts she goes trough

[@alexgibbs9448]

I would love to see a FFXIII remastered trilogy from SE on current consoles. I understand many fans see FFXIII as a misstep in the series, but they altogether have a great and powerful story, and interesting gameplay mechanics.

[@jbcatz5]

Just for completionism considering how much effort is being made to bring the older games to current gen systems. The remasters through steam, the Switch ports, what’s being done with the world of Final Fantasy VII in terms of the Compilation. Stranger of Paradise is a prequel to the first Final Fantasy. Heck, Square kept XIV going longer with updated content and expansions longer than it had it. Yet the XIII trilogy’s most recent release is the Steam ports (and an extra 30GBs just for Japanese voice files is not fun to download when you’ll remove the relevant files from the directory anyway).

[@thespooky1517]

This and VIII are the only ones in the whole series that I have gone back to and beat more than once. Glad to see it get (some) of the respect it deserves. Everyone else I personally know that played it hated it entirely.

[@Walamonga1313]

VIII is such a great game. I still can't believe people hate it. I can understand disliking XIII (even though I like it) but not VIII. Top 3 FFs for me.

[@migss9581]

not being able to move your character during fights is real frustrating when all your group stands on you.

[@TerraWare]

Never played this FF game but did find an ultra mint copy of FF XIII and FF XII-2 cib for the 360. Maybe some day I'll check it out.

[@Pengy_Penguino]

I literally replayed this game at least 10 times for the beautiful graphics, music and battle system. It’s so awesome.

[@DustinKnapp7]

"the game does explain what is going on and gets good about at the halfway point" Then that is where the game should start. I shouldn't have to play half of a game for it to THEN get good. It should start that way. This game takes a millennia to get to combat that isn't a tunnel vision, its leveling system is a visually pleasing tunnel, and the level design for the first half is literally a tunnel. It gets hate because you had to pay 60 bucks to get 30 bucks worth of game that you had spend 30 hours of punishment to get to.

[@ibeatpudding]

The linear maps felt intentional. The team is being guided down a singular path to complete their task. Once a major game event happens and they leave cocoon, it seems like not only does their world open but also their choices. It’s not a perfect game but I enjoyed it and always piss people off when I say it isn’t as bad as they think.

[@caerxhan8313]

I've loved XIII since I bought it back on 2012 or so, and I've never cared if anyone hates it or else, my opinion the only one that matters to me

[@lazydgsf7429]

Didn’t like it all back in the day. Tried it again on series X off the store I’m really enjoying it. I just couldn’t accept it back in the day when I wanted more open worlds and action but today it is indeed a breath of fresh air. I hate the camera. It sucks. But the combat does get really good. It gets really really good and rather intense.

[@p-aluneau5136]

I regularly listen to the soundtrack while studying or working. Simply beautiful.

[@commenter6763]

It really comes down to understanding the Fal'Cie, l'Cie, and Cie'th setup I think, and if the player either understands that, or likes or dislikes that. I've been a Final Fantasy fan since the SNES days, and FFVI is my all-time favorite, but I think the art direction and world-building in FFXIII is one of my favorites. The reason is, if you fail at your focus, you're screwed - you get turned into a Cie'th, for all time. And never, not once, do they backtrack on that, expect for one certain part at an important moment in the game which I won't spoil. And I think they only did that to play it safe and not hurt the entire franchise as a result. That's what I loved about this game. And that the Fal'Cies where put in place as servants or some such of gods to do the bidding of humans, and the Fal'Cie, too, want a release from the burden of having to run the ecosystems of Cocoon by reuniting with "the maker," which is never named. I always read the updated datalogs, so the story was never confusing. It's an RPG, so reading shouldn't be a problem, you're just not talking to random NPCs all the time. The linearity didn't bother me, but it was surprising that there was so little to do. It's a little boring around the edges at times, yes, but not overly so. It gets melodramatic at times, but whaddyagonnado? I still had a good time with it.

[@KnucklestheEcidna]

13 definitely needed the players to have a ton of patience to enjoy the game. I definitely needed multiple runs to truly come to appreciate the game. a friend of mine actually had to teach me how to be better with the combat which did end up making a massive difference to my experience. Now I find FF13 to be the absolute best FF game I've ever played compared to every other game out there. I regularly return to it. FF 13 is for me tied with Type 0 for first and second place. for mainline games. I do not count 11 and 14 because they're MMO. a genre I just cannot get into.

[@yeahiguessman]

Have a lot of nostalgia for this one despite it's hiccups. I remember I was at a camp my middle school went to just before the holiday break and was talking with all my friends on the last day about how excited we were and how insane the game looked. I had been saving up allowance for weeks before, but when I came back the game was waiting on my PS3 as a gift from my grandparents. Spent the entire break playing it and loved every minute of it, completely oblivious to any faults it has in retrospect. Great video Matt. Thanks for reminiscing!

[@statesminds]

I think if you play XIII-2 and lightning returns along with XIII its actually a great series. And can we talk about how good it looked when it released.

[@aqc6760]

Haven’t finished watching but I wanted to comment on how I agree about Vanille! She is SUCH a special character and I love every part of her development as you play. Also, I actually read that when recording for the English, they asked voice actors to put their own spin on the characters, but they asked Vanille’s to stay true to the Japanese voicing. She’s meant to be bright and cheerful, and yes, at times, a little annoying with how perky and loud she can be. And then regarding people complaining that it was too linear, the writers wanted it to be like that. Just as you said, a lot of games are all about having an open world and getting to explore. The director of XIII (Motomu Toriyam) actually responded to that criticism. (This is what he had to say about it, quoted off Wikipedia because I’m too lazy to find another source:) “…reviewers were used to games in which the player was given an open world to explore, he said, noting that this expectation contrasted with the vision the team set out to create. He noted that it ‘becomes very difficult to tell a compelling story when you're given that much freedom.’” Anyway, just wanted to end my rant by thanking you for posting this, as I hold this game super close to my heart and I think that people would appreciate how great it can be if they took the time to pay attention and play for more than just chapters 1-3.

[@rickybelmont9651]

I loved how the status screen for each character was animated, oh and Snows theme is so good !

[@din6675]

-Shits on FFX -Complains about FF fans shitting on him -Praises FF13 and calls FF13-2 one of the best FF ever made LOL

[@tomgu2285]

Does he seriously dislike ff10??? Lol

[@ZeroEscape2074]

I remember 3 things about FF13 that I really liked; 1, the desktop wallpaper worthy graphics, basically anytime, anywhere, a screenshot can be used as a desktop wallpaper, for 2009, the graphics on a ps3 is insane 2, the music is quite good, not my favorite of the series, but I like it 3, the paradigm shift system is pretty fun, rather than switching out every piece of gear and skill for every character, you just select a preset and change it as you see fit, it's pretty cool

[@justinworley6538]

There is a step by step modding guide for FF13 and 13-2 on steam, it takes about 10 min in total and is very straightforward (download this, put it here, double-click, repeat) that makes it run on par with console. So if you wanna go pc, there is a way. Should we have to fix squares mess no, but if pc is your platform, there is a way to get it working correctly. Happy gaming.

[@thepews1511]

I loved this game when it came out buddy got downplayed so much I figured I'd just didn't know anything about FF or JRPGs. Many years and all of the mainline Final Fantasys later I'm replaying on my rog Ally and I'm blown away by how much it still holds up. This game is a CLASSIC.

[@coblamoration1102]

The FFXIII trilogy was, and still is, my favorite FF lore. A lot of folks complained about the datalog but it was the first time I could actually keep track of an FF game cause you spend so many hours on FF games, between battling/cutscenes/your regular life, it's dang near impossible to remember small details cause you experienced stuff 30+ hours ago. But XIII threw you in, and you let decide how deep you wanted to go. And I went all in. So much so that if you truly followed FFXIII-1, you knew about 30% of what was coming in the following games. So it made each entry that much more intriguing.

[@samdeards116]

I’m currently playing through this on pc, just hit chapter 12. The only issues I’ve faced are a couple frame drops here and there. One big issue is that the game will CONTINUOUSLY stutter if you don’t use a game pad. Only get this for pc if you don’t mind the odd frame drop and plan to use controller. Imo, controller is way better

[@stud_ley]

I would love to see this trilogy get re-released with some fixes. XIII got so much unnecessary hate. I remember going out to buy it on release day and I never regretted it. On a side note, love Lightning and she’s still my favorite FF character.

[@gameshark427]

Man........ at the beginning of your video with FF13 Theme song playing brought tears to my eyes.... The Visuals & Soundtrack of this game is on another Lv. I truly love this game. I'm gonna have to pullout my old PS3 just to replay these games. Really, Really wish SONY would add these FF13 games to the new PS+ Extra game catalog.

[@Poisyndart77]

Great video! FFXIII, first time I played it, I gave it a C- personal grade. Did enjoy the combat & a cpl of the characters, butI was amazed that for the first time a video game made me cry (Fang / Vanille in the end). Ended up replaying it w/ the mindset of 'this is FF Sci-Fi' & enjoyed it much more. Combat in the game (I never used the auto-battling) is my second favorite out of the original 13 games, save for OG VII. & it absolutely was incredible how beautiful the game looked, for the time & for many years forward. Cheers!